A redesigned Ohio State Web site will launch autumn quarter, with some possible changes made during the summer.
To help make osu.edu a more user-friendly site, New Media, a unit within University Relations, has created a blog for the OSU community to post comments and concerns.
"I welcome your feedback during the redesign process and encourage all members of Ohio State's community to use this blog as a way to advocate for the interests of their area of the university," said Ted Hattemer, director of New Media.
Soliciting feedback from OSU students, faculty and staff is historical precedent for the redesign process, said Jim Burgoon, senior graphic designer for New Media.
"This is something we've done before," he said. "Our core audience is students. We want to listen to the people who actually use it on a day-to-day basis."
Burgoon said updates occur about every three years to remain current with technological advancements and how people use the Internet in general.
When assessing user-feedback, Burgoon said he and other staff members look for patterns or common complaints.
The most frequent criticisms, he said, are the search engine's efficiency and downloading speed.
"We know these are things we need to look at and re-evaluate," Burgoon said. "We want to make sure the Web site is fast and user-friendly."
Peter Shane, professor of law, commented on the redesign blog, expressing his frustration with certain aspects of the site. Shane said he does not like having to scroll down to the bottom of the page to access the A-Z directory or having to search for the link to the Office of the University Registrar.
"There are certain things that faculty would look for, in terms of the registrar's office, that require multiple clicks," he said. "I was just hoping that could be made accessible more easily."
Shane said he appreciated New Media reaching out to users for suggestions.
"I think in general, the movement in the world of web design, is geared toward more user-centered design," he said. "I think it's great to see the university move toward that philosophy."
Another blogger, Zach Waymer, a registration counselor and staff assistant, made comments commending OSU for its clean, efficient site.
"I posted feedback mainly because I think it's a good Web site," he said. "I wanted to give them some feedback to that effect."
Users interested in viewing OSU's mock-up templates or leaving their own suggestions can do so at osu.edu/redesign.
Allison D'Aurora can be reached at daurora.5@osu.edu.
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